Hen&#39;s nest.



Gis. GREENE E L. W.-N0R T0N;

EENs NEs'r. APPLIoAoN FILED 1.13.28. 191;;

Patented sept. 3.1912.

2 emma-SHEET 1.

Kiwi basti AVAILABLE COPY Ullltllill) ,STATES lrrsiir orribili.

HENS NEST.

To all fie/lem 'if' may concern:

Re it known 'tlhat ve, C'iiaiinns S. (iliirnxii and liioxiii. ll". oiirox, citizens ot the ll'nited States. and Yresidents oin the city ot New York, Test Brighton, borough o' Richmond, in the county of'l'lichinond and State of qNew `fork, have invented a new aud improved llens Nest', ot which the tollowing is a tull, elear, and exact descrip tionA (hir invention relates to hens nests, and it has lfor itsv object to provide one having an inviting; appearance when open.y and which permits a hen to enter lreely, the nest having a door whieh closes automatieally when a heu enters, to prevent another hen `troni entering, but which permits the hen which has entered to leave the. nest.

Another object oi the invention to provide means tor recording the passage et a lien, so that the poultryiuan can tell, at a glance, which hen entered the nest, by which means lie is ableto inform himself as to which hen laid theeeggg` Atoiind in the nest.

Still other objects ot the invention will appear in the following complete specification. in which the preferred torni ot our invention is disclosed. l

.ln the drawings .similar characters ot ret erence indicate eoirespondiug parts in all the views, in which- Figure l a longitudinal elevation showing the nest in au open position: Fig. 2 is a siniila r view showing the .nest closed. and with the lien which has laid the egg about to leave the nest: Fig. tl a iront elevation ol: the nest: Fie'. l is a sectional view on the line #lf-'1 ol Fig. 2: Fig. is a sectional view on the line 5 5 et Fig. L; and` Fig. t3 is a Aview showing; the marking' device, which, is secured to one ol the heirs legs.

By referring; lo the drawings ii will be seen that the nest has side members Ii. a rear wall t3. a llooi' member T, and a partition S. haring au opening` fl. 'l`he compartment lorined by the side walls 5. the rear wall (t and the partition S is .supplied with straw or similar material lt). lu lroiit oithe said compartment there is a passagewiy ll. through which the hen passes on the w V to and from the said compartment.

Disposed in this compartment ll there is au inclined bottoni inei'uber l2, pivoted at 13 at the front o t the nest, a pad or recordingmember l-l ff' l^-l` tl"' 'l"1ll\ttA \l i mina p .nu on iis in( incl if. `om mein ai l2. The inner end of the inelined bottoni Specification of Letters atent.

Application led March 28, 191i.

position re atively' to each other by Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

Serial No. 617,354.

member 12 is held yieldingly upward, by means of the springl5. At the front of the nest, between its side walls, there is pivoted a gate 1G, the top so that` it will fall by gravity when not supported. This gate 16 is constructed of vertical wire members 17, which are held in the transverse vwooden members 1S, the upper 65 wooden member 1S being pivoted to the side walls 5 as described. The vertical members 1.7 extend above the upper transverse wooden member 18, so that they may be engaged by a wire member 19, the terminals 2O ofiwhich' 70 are bent upwardly, and are pivoted at the inside ot a transverse member 2l, the. ends of which are secured to the side men'ibers 5 of the nest. As will best be seen by referring; to Fig. 2 ot the drawings, the outward 75 movement of this pivoted wire member i9 is normally prevented by the transverse meinber 2l.

Behind Vthe gate 1G and the pivoted wire member 19 a transverse rod QQ'is disposed, 80

the terminals ot this rod 22 being;Y secured to the sides 5 of the nest. This transverse rod i2 is disposed in guideways 2?, which are secured to the member 2l, a spring '25 beine secured to a member 2G, cured to the said member 2l, this` spring 25 having a plate 27, which'pipsees up against the transverse rod to held the member .l yieldingjly downwardly, while permitting its rotation. i nest is secured a slop QS, for limiting; the :toi-ward movement oi the said member 21.

livoted in the passageway .ll in one oit the side members 5 o'l the nest there is a trip 3l,

havinga eeiitral portion 32, which is dis- 95 posed against. the side member 5. and is pivoted thereto by the eye members 33.- which are seeured tothe said side member; This trip 3l has two arms il and 235, the arin a; i I3() olf thc g le lil, the arm li beingv disposed aeross the epening il., ielnlingr trom the passe'eway ll to the comparinient.

in Fi t3 ut the drawings we show a niarll mi; derive il), having a band liti. with a .slot 105 37, and a terminal 3H, adapted to be dispos-ed in the slot, and turned over to hold the said band 3G around the leg oi the hen. 'this marking` device 2t? has a dependiiilry pertion 39, with an eye the ehiclien is disposed. Secured to and extending reaiwvardly from the band ltl, there' gate 1G being pivoted at its 50 which is seg5 To one oft' thel sides ot' the 90 i being' adapted to support a wire member 390 l0, in which the tee ll ot "110 is a cylindrical member 42, in which a crayon 43 is disposed. The top of this cylindrical member 42 extends beyond its lower portion to protect the said crayon.

In using the invention a number of marking devices 29 are provided, each with a' different color crayon 43, and these marking devices are secured, one to a leg of each of the hens. The pivoted wire member 19 is then moved to permit the gate 16 to be moved rearwardly, the gate pushing upwardly the member 24, as` it is supported by the arm 34 of the trip member 31', the vertical wire member 80 being disposed above the arm 34, which serves as a support. The arm 35 extends across the passage 11, and

.its terminal 35a is disposed in a slot in the nest, so that it may be readily moved upwardly by a hen passing through the passageway 11 on her way to the compartment supplied with the straw 10. As the hen enters, she walks up on the inclined bottom member 12, pressing the arm which moves upwardly the arm 34, which frees lthe wire member 30 of the gate, thereby perniit` ting the gate to fall and with it the member 24. As the gate falls, its lower portion moves outwardly beyond the wall of' the nest, and its upper portion raises the pi-voted wire member 19, until its said upper portion is disposed against the inner side of the said pivoted wire member 19, which prevents the gate from opening inwardly until it is again set. The hen having passed through the passageway 11, enters the compartment pro'- vided with the straw 10, where she lays the egg. YAs the vhen leaves the nest, she walks v downthe inclined bottom member 12, provided with the recording member 14, and as it is necessary for her to squat to pass under the member 24, the crayon 23 on the marking device is pressed 4against the recording member 14, thereby making a mark thereon.

In order that the same nest may be operated by hens of different sizes, the bottom member 12 is pivoted, and is supported by the spring 15, and, at the same time, the

member 24 may be 'moved yieldingly upwardly, as the hen passes outwardly, be-V tween the bottom member 12 and the said member 24. As the upper end of the gate 16 is disposed at the inner side of the pivoted wire nie'nber 19, the gate may be readily pushed outwardly by the hen, although it is impossible for another hen to move it inwardly. We propose to use a number" of these nests, for each flock of hens, so that the poultrymen may gather up the yrecording members 14 at the end of the'day, at the same time that the eggs are collected, and by examining the recording members, de termine which hens have laid the eggs and which hens have entered the nests and have passed outwardly again without laying eggs.

compartment to prevent thehen from turn ing around in the passageway.

I-Iaving thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A nest having an inclined bottom board for supporting a record receiving means for coperating with a marking device carried by a fowl, and a member spaced from the bottom board to cause the fowl to squat and bring the marking device into engagement with the record receiving means. v

2. In a nest for fowls a marking device adapted to be carried by al fowl, a nest having an opening with a 'record receiving member on the bottom thereof, and a member disposed in the opening, spaced from the bottom, to cause the fowl to move to -bring the marking device into enga-gement with the record receiving member.

' 3. In a nest for fowls a marking device adapted to be carried by a fowl, a nest having an opening with a record receiving member on theoottom thereof, and a meinber disposed in the opening and spaced from the bottom member, for causing the fowl to move to bring the marking device into engagement with the record receiving member, and means for holding the said member yieldingly downwardly.

4. In a nest for fowls a marking device adapted to be carried by a fowl, a nest hay ing an opening, an inclined bottom board 1n the opening, having a record receiving meini ber, a member disposed in the opening,`

spaced from the inclined bottom board to cause a fowl to squat to bring the marking device into engagement with the record receiving member.

'5. A nest having an opening, a bot-tom board in the opening having a record receiving means, resilient means for holding the botto-m board yieldingly upward, a inem` ber disposed in the. opening and spaced from the bottom lboard for causing a fowl passing in through the opening to squat, and a marking device adapted to be carried bythe fowl for cooperating with the record receiving means.

6. A nest having an opening, anv inclined bottom board in the opening having record receiving means, resilient means for holding the bottomboard yieldingly upward, a meinber disposed in the opening and sparc-l from the bottom board for causing a fowl fie operating with a ing means, resilient means for holding the bottom board yieldingly upward, a member disposed in the opening and spaced from the bottom board for cansiiV `afowlI passing through the opening"to squat, resilient means for holding the member in position,`

and a marking device adapted to be carried by a f owl for cooperating with the recordreceivmg means.

8. `An impressing member, an impression receiving member coperating therewith, a nest having an opening and a bottom member, a member disposed in the opening in the path yof afowl entering the nest, and spaced from thev bottom member to cause the fowl to squat, one of the first--two-mentioned members being mounted on the bot tom member, the other of the said first-tivomentioned members being adapted to be carried by a fowl.

9. A nest having a bottom member for supporting a record receiving. means for comarking device carried by a fowl, a pivoted gate, a `member spaced from the bottom member and pivoted in the nest adapted to be engaged and held in a predetermined position by the gate, the pivoted member being normally disposed in the path of the fowl for causing the fowl to squat and bring the marking device into engagement with the record receiving means, resilient means for normallyholding` the pivoted member in. a predetermined position, and a member for holding the gate in a predetermined position, adapted. to be operated by the fowl.

1G'. A nest liaving a bottom member for supporting a record receiving means for cooperating witli a marking device carried by a fowl, a pivoted gate, a rod secured to the nest, a member normally disposed in the path of the fowl for causing the fowl to squat and bring the marking device into ongagement with the record receiving means, a member having guideways inwhich the rod is disposed. and adapted to be engaged by the pivoted gate, a .resilient means. se cured to pressing against the rod for holding the second-mentioned member yieldingly in a predetermined po."tio1i, and a member for holdine' the gate in a predetermined position adbpted to be operated by the fowl.

'11. ,fr nest having an inclined bottom member for supporting a record receiving means `for eoiperating with a marking de vice carried by a fowl, a pivoted gate, a member normally disposed in the path of the fowl for causing the fowl to squatand bring the marking device into engagement with the record receiving means, the second-- mentioned member being pivoted in the nest and adapted to be engaged by `the gate, and a member for holding the gate open adapted to be operated by the fowl.

Vated by the fowl.

.adapted to be fowl, an eye the second-mentioned member forl [12. A* nest having a bottom member for supporting a record receiving means for co operating with a marking device carriedby a fowl, a pivoted gate, resilient holding the bottom member yieldingly up,- ward, a member for causing a fowl i and bring the marking device into engagement with the record receiving means, the second-mentioned member being pivoted in-v the nestvand adapted to be engaged by the gate and held longitudinally of the nest when the gate is iny an open position, and

a member for engaging the gate and holding itopen, adapted to be operated by the fowl. 13. A nest having a bottominember for supporting a record receiving means for co` operating with a marking device carriedby a. fowl, a pivoted gate, a member normally disposed in the path of the fowl for causing the fowl to squat and bring the marking" device into engagement with the record re` celving means, the second-mentioned member being pivoted in the nest and adapted to be engaged by the gate, and a member for holding the gate open, adapted to be operle. A nest having a bottom member with a record receiving means, a gate pivoted to the nest, a member pivoted in the nest, normally disposed in the path of a fowl for causing the fowlhto squat, and adapted to-4 be engaged by the ate, a member adapted to be operated by tie fowlfor holdingthe gate in an open position, and a marking device adapted to be carried by a fowl for engaging the record receiving means.

15. A marking device having a band disposed around the leg of a through which thertoe of the fowl may be disposed, and an indicating means.

lo. A marking device having a band adapted to be disposed around the leg of a fowl, an eye through which the toe of the fowl may be disposed, a bolder,and a crayon secured by the holder.

, l?. i nest having a bottom member for supporting a record receiving means for cooperating with a marking device carried by a fowl, a pivoted gate, a member spaced from the bottom member and pivoted in the nest for causing the fowl to squat and brino the Amarking device into engagement with the record receiving means, the secondmentioned member being adapted to be engaged and held in a predetermined position by the gate, and normally disposed in the path of -the fowl, and a member for holding the gate' in a predetermined position adapted to be operated by the fowl.

18. A nest having a bottom member for supporting a record receiving mea-ns for cooperating with a. marking device carried by a fowl, a pivoted gate, a rod secured to the nest, a member normally disposed in the to be en aged by the pivoted gate, and ev member or engaging the pivoted gate and holding it in a predetermined position, adapted to be operated by the fowl.

19. A nest having a bottom member for supporting a record receiving means for cooperating lwith a marking device carried by a fowl, a memberdisposed above the bot- 1 tommember and in the path of the fowl for causing the fowl to squat and bring the vmarking device i'nto engagement with the record receiving -means, the second-mentmned"member being pivoted 1n the nest,

and means for holding the second-mentioned `member in a predetermined position.

20. A nest having a bottom member for supporting a record receiving means for cooperating with a marking device carried by a fowl, and a member disposed above the bottom member and in the path of the fowl for causin the fowl to squat and bring the marking evice into engagement with the record receiving means.

In testimony whereofvwe have signed our names to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. GREENE.

. LIONEL W. NORTGN.

"Witnesses:

WILLIAM TAYLOR, PAUL CALDWELL. 

